Bhartiya Janata Party |
The freedom movement in India was stifled by communal separatism and a lack of nationalism, leading to the acceptance of religious partition and the ban of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee opposed Bengal's full allocation to Pakistan, leading to Pakistan receiving only half. Despite Gandhi's advice, Mookerjee resigned due to India's subdued policy.
The Jana Sangh was formed in May 1951 by Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee and Shri Guruji, and completed on October 21, 1951, at Raghomal Kanya Madhyamik Vidyalaya in Delhi. The saffron flag and 'Deepak' were accepted as election symbols.
In the first general election, the Jana Sangh gained national party status with 3.06% votes. Dr. Mookerjee led the formation of the National Democratic Front in Parliament, which included 38 MPs from various parties. Dr. Mookerjee, the president of Bharatiya Jana Sangh, became the first informal Leader of the Opposition in India.
In 1952, the Jammu-Kashmir Legislative Assembly accepted the proposal to join the Indian Federation, leading to the signing of the Nehru-Abdullah Agreement. This was a conspiracy to separate the state, which had already merged with India. The Praja Parishad and Bharatiya Jana Sangh opposed this, with Dr. Mookerjee's speech causing intense agitation.
The Bharatiya Jana Sangh's first conference in Kanpur, led by Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya, introduced the Cultural Renaissance resolution, promoting geo-cultural nationalism, and demanded a state Reorganisation Commission.
In 1953, a satyagraha was
initiated in Delhi to demand the complete integration of Jammu and Kashmir. Dr.
Mookerjee was arrested and taken to Srinagar, leading to the end of the permit
system. The Jana Sangh then held several conferences, including one in Mumbai,
where calls for Swadeshi were made. They also called for the freedom of
Goa-Daman-Diu and Pondicherry, which were still part of the Portuguese and
French empires after British departure in 1947.
In 1957, the Jana Sangh organized the first 11-day study camp in Bilaspur,
followed by conferences in Ambala, Bangalore, and Delhi. The party won four
seats in the 1957 general elections and nearly doubled its vote percentage to
5.93%. The Nehru-Noon Pact was signed in 1958, and the Berubari Union of
Jalpaiguri was handed over to Pakistan.
In 1959, the Jana Sangh demanded the liberation of Tibet and organized mass
awakening programs. The ninth conference was held under the presidentship of
Shri Rama Rao, and the tenth conference was held under the presidentship of
Acharya Raghu Vira. Acharya Ghosh was elected president in 1963.
In 1962, 14 MPs were elected from the Jana Sangh, with a vote percentage of
6.44. The year 1964 marked a milestone for the Jana Sangh, as it conceptualized
the 'Principle and Policy' draft, which included 'Integral Humanism'. The 12th
All India Conference declared the philosophy of the party in 1965, and the Jana
Sangh demanded the making of the atom bomb.
In 1965, Pakistan captured Kanajarkot in Kutch, leading to a countrywide
demonstration against the Kutch Agreement. The Jana Sangh worked with the
government and army, and the Indian army emerged victorious. A ceasefire was
declared on Russia's mediation, but the Jana Sangh opposed it.
The Jana Sangh became the second political party after the Congress in 1967,
with 35 members elected in the Lok Sabha and 9.41 in the Legislative Assembly.
The Jana Sangh was part of the first non-Congress government formed in Bihar,
Punjab, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Madhya Pradesh.
The 14th All India Conference of the Jana Sangh was held in Calicut, where Pt.
Deendayal Upadhyaya was elected president. However, Deendayal ji was martyred
on February 11, 1968, shocking the country's politics.
The 15th All India Conference in
Bombay, organized by Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, was a significant event in the
country's political history. The conference raised the slogan "Pradhan
Mantri Ki Agali Bari, Atal Bihari, Atal Bihari." The 16th All India
Conference took place in Patna, where the slogan "Tin Tilange, Karte Dange"
was used to warn against the Congress, Communist, and Muslim League trio. The
Jana Sangh, part of non-Congress governments, saw a significant decrease in its
number and vote percentage in the Lok Sabha.
In December 1971, Pakistan attacked India, leading to the Bangladesh war. The
Jana Sangh worked with the government and armed forces, winning the war and
forming Bangladesh. They organized demonstrations in Delhi and held satyagrahas
against the Shimla Agreement.
The Jana Sangh celebrated Aurobindo centenary as "Akhand Bharat
Divas" on 15th August. However, the victory in 1971 made Indira Gandhi
arrogant and associated corruption, arrogance, and oppression with her rule. In
December 1972, the 18th Conference of Jana Sangh was held in Kanpur, where Babu
Jayaprakash Narayan became the leader of the movement.
The Allahabad High court declared Indira Gandhi's election invalid and
disqualified her from contesting elections. The emergency was declared on June
25, 1975, and democracy was suppressed. All leaders were either jailed under
MISA or went underground. The next year's general elections were scheduled but
were postponed due to an amendment to the Constitution.
In 1977, Babu Jayaprakash Narayan ji handed over the responsibilities of Lok
Sangharsh Samiti to Shri Nanaji Deshmukh. The Janata Party, led by Jayaprakash
Narayan, merged with the Congress Organisation in the elections, leading to the
end of the Emergency and the formation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
However, the Janata Party became a victim of mutual rivalry and power politics,
leading to the question of 'dual membership'. The Jana Sangh leaders left the
party and formed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 1980.
In 1984, Indira Gandhi was assassinated, causing widespread anti-Sikh riots.
The Jana Sangh and Sangh karyakartas tried to foil these efforts, creating
animosity between Hindus and Sikhs. The first election for the BJP was declared
in October 1985, but it only won two seats.
A critical appraisal of the party led to the inclusion of 'Integral Humanism'
as the party's basic ideology. In 1986, Shri Lal Krishna Advani was elected
president. The BJP's image of 'Mr. Clean' was demolished in 1987, and the
Shahbano case exposed BJP activists' minority vote-bank politics. In 1988, the
BJP demanded Rajiv Gandhi's resignation and mid-term elections. In August 1988,
the National Front was formed, with NT Rama Rao becoming president and VP Singh
the convener. This marked the birth of the Janata Party in India.
In 1989, the BJP and Shiv Sena alliance formed, leading to the ousting of the Rajiv Gandhi Government. The party's tally increased to 86 seats, with the slogan 'Justice for all, Appeasement of none'. Shri Lal Krishna Advani was elected to Lok Sabha for the first time. In June 1989, the National Executive decided to support the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi movement, a cultural nationalism struggle. The Ram Rath Yatra, led by Advani, received unprecedented support.
However, the Rath Yatra was stopped in Samastipur, Bihar, and Advani was detained for five weeks. Karseva was held, and Shri Chandrashekhar became Prime Minister with Congress support. Rajiv Gandhi withdrew Congress' support within seven months. In the Uttar Pradesh state assembly elections in 1991, BJP emerged as the largest single party. In 1996, 1998, and 1999, BJP emerged as the largest single party, with Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee as Prime Minister.
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